Fixing arrangements

ABSTRACT

TWO OR MORE COOPERATING BENT EDGES OF A PLURALITY OF SHEET METAL OR THE LIKE MEMBERS ARE RELEASABLY ASSEMBLED THROUGH THE USE OF A SINGLE OR MULTI-CHANNELED STIRRUP MEMBER WHICH STRADDLES THE BENT EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET MEMBERS TO BE JOINED. A RESILIENT FLEXIBLE CLIP IS POSITIONED AGAINST ONE SIDE WALL OF THE STIRRUP DEVICE WITHIN ONE OF THE CHANNELS SO AS TO BIASINGLY ENGAGE THE BENT EDGE PORTION OF AN ASSOCIATED SHEET MEMBER THEREBY FORCING IT INTO ABUTTING ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP WITH A COOPERATING BENT EDGE PORTION OF A SIMILAR SHEET MEMBER WHICH MAY BE   ARRANGED IN COMMON OR PERPENDICULAR PLANE. THE STIRRUP DEVICE MAY HAVE ONE OR MORE CHANNEL MEMBERS DEPENDENT UPON THE SHAPE AND POSITION OF THE SHEET MEMBERS RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND UPON THE NUMBER OF CLIPS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A BIASING FORCE ON THE BENT EDGE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET MEMBERS SO AS TO MAINTAIN THEM IN ASSEMBLED ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP.

Sept. 2-0, 1971 Y. DIDRY FIXING ARRANGEMENTSv s sheets-sheet n FiledOct. 24, 1968 FIG. 6A

FIG.5

sept. 20, 11971 Y, mul-'zy 3,606,411

FIXING ARRANGEIAENTS 5 Filed oct. 24, 196e' l l y 's sheets-sheet s3,606,41 l Patented Sept. 20, 1971 Int. c1. 151611 /06 U.S. Cl.287-189.36 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Two or more cooperatingbent edges of a plurality of sheet metal or the like members arereleasably assembled through the use of a single or multi-channeledstirrup member which straddles the bent edge portions of the sheetmembers to be joined. A resilient flexible clip is positioned againstone side wall of the stirrup device within one of the channels so as torbiasingly engage the bent edge portion of an associated sheet memberthereby forcing it into abutting assembled relationship with acooperating bent edge portion of a similar sheet member which may bearranged in common or perpendicular plane. The stirrup device may haveone or more channel members dependent upon the shape and position of thesheet members relative to one another and upon the number of clipsnecessary to provide a biasing force on the bent edge portions of thesheet members so as to maintain them in assembled abutting relationship.

This invention relates to a facility for the releasable assembly of twosheet-metal members whose juxtaposed bent edges are straddled by astirrup clipped in position, the facility being distinguished by thecombination of an appropriate shaped stirrup with one or two clips ofthe kindv which can compensate for dimensional tolerances and whichconnect the stirrup to one or both of the sheet-metal members.

Using a facility of this kind, which does not damage thevassembledsheet-metal members in any way, assembly and: disassembly can proceed insitu very rapidly and without tools and Without previous adjustments, sothat the elements can be transported prior to assembly in a very smallbulk and without any need to crimp the sheet-metal members withauxiliary section members, thus providing a very low-cost solution tothe problem of providing assemblies using sheet-metal members.

Details of the invention will be disclosed by the description, referencebeing made to the accompayning drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, and FIG. la a view in horizontal section,showing the assembly of two sheetmetal members in alignment which formthe base of a metal furniture item;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view and FIG. 2a a view in horizontal section ofthe assembly shown in FIG. 1 plus a third sheet-metal member which isperpendicular to the iirst and which forms a partition in the item ofmetal furniture;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view and FIG. 3a a view in horizontal vsectionof a corner assembly using two sheetmetal members having the same edgelip;

FIG. 4'is a perspective view and FIG. 4a a view in horizontal section ofa corner assembly using two sheet-metal members having different edgelips;

FIG. 5 is a perspective View showing the assembly of a side panel to atop panel;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view and FIG. 6a a View in horizontal section ofa variant of the assembly of two aligned sheet-metal members;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view and FIG. 7a a view in section'of twoaligned sheet-metal members comprising, as in FIG. 6, edge lips whichnest in one another, and with the use of a single-channel stirrup memberand a clip made of round or square spring steel known as piano wire, and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view and FIG. 8a a view in section of theassembly of two aligned sheet-metal members having larger edge lips sothat clips can be introduced into the single-channel stirrup member fromeither side of such lips.

Referring to the drawings, two aligned sheet metal members 1, 2 formbase elements and have the same edge lip and are dimensioned to receivea three-channel stirrup member 3 whose central channel straddles the twoedge lips of the members 1, 2, the two lateral channels each receiving aclip 4 of a kind adapted to take up dimensional tolerances.

In `FIG. 2 a partition sheet 5 is introduced into one of the lateralchannels before the positioning of the clip 4.

In FIG.3, the lateral sheet-metal member having the same edge lip as thebase sheet-metal member is connected to the three-channel stirrup member3 by a spot weld 6, assembly being by a single clip 4.

FIG. 4 shows a corner assembly between a lateral sheetmetal member 7having an extra 90 bend and a base sheet-metal member 2, with the use ofthe same threechannel stirrup member 3 and tWo clips 4.

FIG. 5 shows an assembly between a vertical panel 8 and a top panel 9with the use of an angle-iron whose vertical arm 10 is rigidly securedto the vertical panel 8 by a two-channel stirrup 11, a clip 12 which cantake up dimensional differences also being used, the horizontal arm 13of the angle-iron being rigidly secured to the horizontal panel 9 by asecond two-channel stirrup member 11 and a second clip 12 of the samekind as the first clip 12.

FIG. 6 shows the assembly of two panels in alignment with one another;one panel, 2, has the same edge lip as has been shown in the previousdrawings, but the other panel 14 has a reversed edge lip in which theedge lip of the member 2 engages, assembly being by means of atwochannel stirrup member 11 and a clip 4.

FIG. 7 shows two sheet-metal members 2, 14 assembled in alignment withone another; the members 2, 14 have edge lips which nest in one another.The assembly uses a single-channel mmeber 15 and a clip 16 made of roundor square spring steel stock.

FIG. 8 shows the assembly of two sheet-metal members 17, 18 in alignmentwith one another, the members 17, 18 having relatively large edge lipsfor the introduction of securing clips; the assembly also uses a widesingle-channel stirrup member 19 and two clips 4 of a kind adapted totake up dimensional tolerances.

What I claim is:

1. A joining stirrup device for assembling a plurality of sheet metalmembers each having cooperating bent edges positioned in abuttingrelationship with each other, the stirrup device comprising: angledportions forming at least two channels, said stirrup device removablymounted on abuting cooperating bent edges of adjacent members so thatone of said channels of the stirrup device partially surrounds both ofsaid abutting bent edges, and at least one arcuate shaped spring clippositioned in the other channel and adjustably' engaging one angledportion of said other channel of the stirrup device and the bentabutting edge of at least one of said members, so as to apply a biasingforce between the stirrup device and those portions of said memberslocated in one of said channels, whereby the members are maintained insecure assembled relationship to one another.

2. A joining stirrup device as in claim 1 wherein the stirrup devciecomprises angled portions forming three channels, including a centerchannel and two lateral end channels, one of said arcuate shaped springclips positioned in a lateral end channel and engaging an angled portionof said strrup device and aY portion of at least one sheet metal membermounted in assembled position within an adjacent channel. 3. A joiningstrrup device as in claim 2 wherein two sheet metal members are arrangedin substantially the same plane and further comprising a third sheetmetal member arranged substantially perpendicular to the plane of thetwo members, the third member positioned between one'of said clips andan angled portion of one of said lateral channels and thereby beingmaintained in secure assembled position within a lateral end channel bymeans of one f said clips. y

4. A joining strrup device as defined in claim 2 wherein two sheet metalmembers are assembled substantially perpendicular to each other, with anangled portion of one lateral end channel being secured to the bent edgeof one of said members, said clip located in said other lateral endchannel and biasingly engaging a portion of one of the sheet members,wherein said strrup device is securely fastened to the othersheet-member.

5. A joining strrup device as a claim 2 wherein two sheet metal membersare assembled substantially perpendicular to each other and furthercomprising two arcuate shaped spring clips each mounted in one lateralend channel of said stirrup device'and'e'ach arranged'to biasinglyengage a portion of a sheet nember so as to maintain them in assembledabutting position.

6. A joining strrup device as in claim 1 wherein two sheet metalmembers-:are assembled in substantially the sameiplane, the strrupdevicecomprises two channels, the biasing means comprises a single,flexible clip, said clip positioned `in` one of said channels andbiasingly engaging a portion of one sheet member, whereby' the ben'tvedge of both sheet members are positioned in the same channel inassembled abutting relation to one another.

References Cited EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner

